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The Dead Alive
The Dead Alive

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Dead Alive is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Dead Alive
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE CONFESSION.
MY replies to the lawyer accurately expressed the conviction in my mind.
The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.
I reached this conclusion reluctantly and regretfully, for Naomi’s sake.
I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Dead Alive

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Dead Alive is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE CONFESSION.
/ðə kənˈfeʃən/
Line 2
MY replies to the lawyer accurately expressed the conviction in my mind.
/maɪ rɪˈplaɪz tuː ðə ˈlɔːjər ˈækjərətli ɪkˈsprest ðə kənˈvɪkʃən ɪn maɪ maɪnd/
Line 3
The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.
/ðə ˈnærətɪv rɪˈleɪtɪd baɪ ˈæmbroʊz hæd ɔːl ðə əˈpɪrəns ɪn maɪ aɪz ʌv ə ˈfæbrɪkeɪtəd ˈstɔːri ɡɑːt ʌp ənd ˈklʌmsəli ɡɑːt ʌp tuː ˈpɜːrvərt ðə pleɪn ˈmiːnɪŋ ʌv ðə ˌsɜːrkəmˈstænʃəl ˈevədəns prəˈduːst baɪ ðə ˌprɑːsəˈkjuːʃən/
Line 4
I reached this conclusion reluctantly and regretfully, for Naomi’s sake.
Line 5
I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.
/aɪ sed ɔːl aɪ kʊd seɪ tuː ʃeɪk ðə ˈæbsəluːt ˈkɑːnfədəns wɪtʃ ʃiː felt ɪn ðə dɪsˈtʃɑːrdʒ ʌv ðə ˈprɪzənərz æt ðə nekst ɪɡˌzæməˈneɪʃən/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

accurately adverb US /ˈækjərətli/

with few mistakes

From this reading “MY replies to the lawyer accurately expressed the conviction in my mind.”

Ambrose noun US /ˈæmbroʊz/

(Roman Catholic Church) Roman priest who became bishop of Milan

From this reading “The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.”

circumstantial adjective US /ˌsɜːrkəmˈstænʃəl/

fully detailed and specific about particulars

From this reading “The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.”

clumsily adverb US /ˈklʌmsəli/

in a clumsy manner

From this reading “The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.”

fabricated adjective US /ˈfæbrɪkeɪtəd/

formed or conceived by the imagination

From this reading “The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.”

pervert verb US /ˈpɜːrvərt/

corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

From this reading “The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.”

prosecution noun US /ˌprɑːsəˈkjuːʃən/

the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a defendant for criminal behavior

From this reading “The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.”

regretfully adverb US /rɪˈɡretfəli/

with regret (used in polite formulas)

From this reading “I reached this conclusion reluctantly and regretfully, for Naomi’s sake.”

All words in this reading · 57

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

absoluteadjectiveUS /ˈæbsəluːt/

perfect or complete or pure

From this reading I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.

accuratelyadverbUS /ˈækjərətli/

with few mistakes

From this reading MY replies to the lawyer accurately expressed the conviction in my mind.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

AmbrosenounUS /ˈæmbroʊz/

(Roman Catholic Church) Roman priest who became bishop of Milan

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

circumstantialadjectiveUS /ˌsɜːrkəmˈstænʃəl/

fully detailed and specific about particulars

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

clumsilyadverbUS /ˈklʌmsəli/

in a clumsy manner

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

conclusionnounUS /kənˈkluːʒən/

a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

From this reading I reached this conclusion reluctantly and regretfully, for Naomi’s sake.

CONFESSIONnounUS /kənˈfeʃən/

an admission of misdeeds or faults

From this reading THE CONFESSION.

confidencenounUS /ˈkɑːnfədəns/

freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.

convictionnounUS /kənˈvɪkʃən/

an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence

From this reading MY replies to the lawyer accurately expressed the conviction in my mind.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.

dischargeverbUS /dɪsˈtʃɑːrdʒ/

complete or carry out

From this reading I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.

evidencenounUS /ˈevədəns/

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

examinationnounUS /ɪɡˌzæməˈneɪʃən/

the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)

From this reading I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.

expressedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsprest/

communicated in words

From this reading MY replies to the lawyer accurately expressed the conviction in my mind.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

fabricatedadjectiveUS /ˈfæbrɪkeɪtəd/

formed or conceived by the imagination

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I reached this conclusion reluctantly and regretfully, for Naomi’s sake.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I reached this conclusion reluctantly and regretfully, for Naomi’s sake.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading MY replies to the lawyer accurately expressed the conviction in my mind.

lawyernounUS /ˈlɔːjər/

a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice

From this reading MY replies to the lawyer accurately expressed the conviction in my mind.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading MY replies to the lawyer accurately expressed the conviction in my mind.

MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading MY replies to the lawyer accurately expressed the conviction in my mind.

Naomi's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I reached this conclusion reluctantly and regretfully, for Naomi’s sake.

narrativenounUS /ˈnærətɪv/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

pervertverbUS /ˈpɜːrvərt/

corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

prisonersnounUS /ˈprɪzənərz/

plural of “prisoner” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.

producedverbUS /prəˈduːst/

past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

prosecutionnounUS /ˌprɑːsəˈkjuːʃən/

the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a defendant for criminal behavior

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading I reached this conclusion reluctantly and regretfully, for Naomi’s sake.

regretfullyadverbUS /rɪˈɡretfəli/

with regret (used in polite formulas)

From this reading I reached this conclusion reluctantly and regretfully, for Naomi’s sake.

relatedadjectiveUS /rɪˈleɪtɪd/

being connected either logically or causally or by shared characteristics

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

reluctantlyadverbUS /rɪˈlʌktəntli/

with reluctance

From this reading I reached this conclusion reluctantly and regretfully, for Naomi’s sake.

repliesnounUS /rɪˈplaɪz/

plural of “reply” — a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading MY replies to the lawyer accurately expressed the conviction in my mind.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.

sakenounUS /seɪk/

a reason for wanting something done

From this reading I reached this conclusion reluctantly and regretfully, for Naomi’s sake.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.

shakeverbUS /ʃeɪk/

move or cause to move back and forth

From this reading I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE CONFESSION.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading I reached this conclusion reluctantly and regretfully, for Naomi’s sake.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading MY replies to the lawyer accurately expressed the conviction in my mind.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The narrative related by Ambrose had all the appearance, in my eyes, of a fabricated story, got up, and clumsily got up, to pervert the plain meaning of the circumstantial evidence produced by the prosecution.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading I said all I could say to shake the absolute confidence which she felt in the discharge of the prisoners at the next examination.

Chapter 8 of The Dead Alive by Wilkie Collins holds 141 sentences, grouped into 29 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 8 of The Dead Alive contain?

Chapter 8 holds 141 sentences of The Dead Alive, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Dead Alive by Wilkie Collins exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 141 sentences, grouped into 29 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 8 of The Dead Alive?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Dead Alive

Common questions about reading The Dead Alive by Wilkie Collins on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Dead Alive?

Yes. All 1539 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7891 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Dead Alive is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7891, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Dead Alive take to read?

About 128 minutes of reading across 308 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Dead Alive section by section

How to work through The Dead Alive section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Dead Alive to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Dead Alive

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Dead Alive, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Heart
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dead Alive; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Right
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dead Alive; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Doctor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dead Alive; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lungs
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dead Alive; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.